🎬 Picking a Fight

👋 Good morning! Remember that Oscar-winning 'Free Solo' documentary that made your palms sweat just watching it? Netflix just decided to recreate that feeling live. As part of their continuing push into live programming, the streamer is sending Alex Honnold up Taiwan's Taipei 101 skyscraper (1,667 feet, 101 floors) with no safety equipment. This all goes down in early 2026.

Welcome back to The Dailies for your mid-week edition. Grab your coffee and we'll catch you up on the latest film and TV industry news.

CLOSEUP
🤖 OpenAI picked a(nother) fight with Hollywood…

OpenAI just launched Sora 2, but instead of the video creation tool everyone expected, it's now a TikTok-style social app. Users can generate AI videos from text prompts, insert themselves into scenes, and scroll through feeds.

Here's the surprising part: by default, the AI-generated videos can include studios' copyrighted characters and IP. Rights holders have to explicitly opt out if they don't want their stuff showing up. Some details:

• Studios now have homework they didn’t ask for: This flips the traditional model where companies like OpenAI need permission before using IP. Studios can't even issue blanket bans for entire catalogs. Each character must be opted out individually. Good luck managing thousands of properties one by one.

• Racing Google: Google recently gave away its Veo 3 video generator free to YouTube users, so OpenAI's rushing Sora 2 to market, copyright concerns be damned.

• Celebs are protected: While Mickey Mouse is fair game, actual celebrities are off-limits without permission. OpenAI says it treats "likeness and copyright distinctly."

• If you're wondering why Sora’s a social platform now: Social platforms get Section 230 protection. That’s the law that basically says when users post something illegal or harmful, you can't sue TikTok or YouTube, only the poster. By adding feeds and sharing, OpenAI's hoping they'll get the same legal shield.

Studios haven't said much yet. The Motion Picture Association had previously warned that opt-out systems would be unworkable and a nightmare to manage, per Puck reporting, but there's been no major pushback to OpenAI's announcement. Disney and Universal are already suing other AI companies like Midjourney for copyright violations, but haven't yet targeted OpenAI directly.

Looking ahead… The app launched yesterday as invite-only in the U.S. and Canada, with public rollout coming soon.

WIDESHOT
🎬 Hollywood tariffs, SAG, and carriage disputes…

🇺🇸 Trump's talking movie tariffs again. The president posted on Truth Social Monday that he'll impose a "100% tariff on any and all movies that are made outside of the United States," saying America's losing too many productions overseas. This echoes his May announcement using similar language. The practical details remain murky: what defines a movie being "made" abroad, and how would customs enforce tariffs on streaming content or digital files? After the May announcement, Trump's Hollywood advisors Jon Voight and producer Steven Paul pitched federal tax incentives to help bring production back. Paul suggests that any tariff would work "hand-in-hand" with broader measures to revitalize American filmmaking.

🎭 SAG says AI Tilly Norwood is "not an actor." Following news that Hollywood agencies were circling the AI-generated performer for representation, the union issued a statement condemning Norwood as "a computer program trained on the work of countless professional performers—without permission or compensation." SAG-AFTRA argued she has "no life experience to draw from, no emotion" and creates "the problem of using stolen performances to put actors out of work." Major agencies are distancing themselves too, with Gersh calling Norwood "frightening" and WME declaring "we represent humans." The union's firm stance sets the stage for contentious 2026 negotiations with studios.

⏲️ YouTube TV and NBC avoided a blackout last night, but their fight isn't over. The two struck a short-term extension while renegotiating their carriage deal, with a key sticking point being whether YouTube TV (now America's biggest internet TV provider) can "ingest" NBC's streaming service Peacock right into its app. This basically means viewers could watch exclusive shows without switching apps. NBC says this would turn Peacock into just another content supplier instead of its own streaming service, making it harder to attract paying subscribers. YouTube TV argues it's simplifying things for viewers tired of juggling multiple apps. Whatever they decide could become the standard for the entire TV industry, with Disney facing similar negotiations next month.

INTERMISSION: A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR
The go-to debit card for instant discounts

Get instant discounts at places you already shop with a Cash App Card. It’s a debit card that works where Visa is accepted, even at ATMs. Whether it’s time for groceries, a ride to meet a friend, or something you’ve been eyeing, you’ll get access to offers that turn everyday spending into real savings. Why you’ll love it:

• 
Exclusive offers to save on everyday spending

• No monthly or hidden fees


• 24/7 fraud monitoring to avoid scams before they can happen

• Instant ways to lock your card if it’s ever lost or stolen.

• Pay over time for eligible purchases with Cash App Afterpay.¹

LAST LOOKS
Film Development 🗒️

• A24 boards Michael Shanks’ sci-fi thriller ‘Hotel Hotel Hotel Hotel,’ following his Sundance hit ‘Together.’ (more)

• Morgan Lehmann sells untitled WAGs comedy pitch to United Artists and producer Scott Stuber. (more)

• Netflix boards Australian supernatural mystery drama ‘Playing Gracie Darling,’ set to launch globally later this year. (more)

• Jeremy Irons joins Henry Cavill in Amazon MGM’s ‘Highlander’ remake as the film’s second antagonist. (more)

• Black Bear acquires U.S. rights to Daniel Roher’s romantic thriller ‘Tuner,’ starring Dustin Hoffman and Leo Woodall. (more)

• Di Novi Pictures taps Alan Scott Neal to direct thriller ‘Motherboy,’ from Tess Brewer’s Black List script. (more)

• Mads Mikkelsen and Diane Kruger will star in sci-fi survival thriller ‘Ami,’ now filming in Spain. (more)

• Amazon MGM wraps Gareth Evans’ remake ‘A Colt Is My Passport,’ starring Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Tim Roth, Jack Reynor and Lucy Boynton. (more)

• Vertical acquires U.S. rights to Sophie Tabet’s ’80s-set thriller ‘Stone Cold Fox,’ starring Kiernan Shipka, Kiefer Sutherland and Krysten Ritter. (more)

• Rami Malek, Rebecca Hall and Ebon Moss-Bachrach will star in Ira Sachs’ late-’80s New York musical fantasia ‘The Man I Love.’ (more)

• Prime Video acquires Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman-produced Civil War drama ‘The Gray House,’ debuting in early 2026. (more)

TV Development 📺

• Netflix greenlights Lauren Iungerich’s new YA drama series ‘Poser,’ an eight-episode thriller on toxic friendship. (more)

• Searchlight acquires Mona Fastvold’s musical drama ‘The Testament of Ann Lee,’ starring Amanda Seyfried, for global release. (more)

• ABC orders Scott Speedman-led drama ‘RJ Decker,’ based on Carl Hiaasen’s novel ‘Double Whammy.’ (more)

• Prime Video orders four-part series ‘Murder in the Dark,’ with Michael Falch reprising his role from the 1986 film. (more)

• Huntr/x singers from Netflix’s ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ will give their first live performance on ‘Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’ Oct. 7. (more)

• Peacock is developing a scripted series adaptation of the true-crime podcast ‘Vigilante,’ from Patrick Macmanus and UCP. (more)

• Kristin Chenoweth to star in NBC’s untitled church choir comedy from Alissa Neubauer, Kapital and 3 Arts. (more)

• Hulu cancels comedy ‘Mid-Century Modern’ after S1. (more)

Business 🤝

• Paramount inks long-term deal making Paramount+ the exclusive home of ‘Zuffa Boxing,’ starting Jan. 2026. (more)

• Paramount inks overall deal with filmmaker James Mangold, starting with Timothée Chalamet project ‘High Side.’ (more)

• Electronic Arts agrees to a record $55B buyout led by Jared Kushner’s firm, Saudi Arabia’s wealth fund and Silver Lake. (more)

• Saudi Arabia unveils $8.7M in new film investments and rebrands its state-backed Saudi Film Fund as Riviera Content. (more)

• Spotify founder Daniel Ek steps down as CEO in Jan. 2026, becoming executive chairman. (more)

• Fubo shareholders approve merger with Disney’s ‘Hulu + Live TV,’ expected to close in late 2025 or early 2026. (more)

VIDEO VILLAGE
📺 Latest trailers

MARTINI SHOT
🍸 Latest viral moments